Seeing how Wildhammers were treated and the confusion that is Horde Sand Trolls suddenly appearing, I generally advocate for races to be their own race slot.
If customization races got to have their own identity or if a sub race system was created to do that, I’d be fine with races of different tribes, clans, and such being part of it. The issue is that with something like Wildhammer, they just end up being Bronzebeards cosplaying as Wildhammers as opposed to feeling like actual Wildhammers. And yet, two of the three Dwarf clans get to be their own race.
Storyline presence is another thing. As an example, I want San’layn as a playable Horde race. However, I wouldn’t want to just see them nonchalantly announced as customization options for Blood Elves, slapped onto them, and not have any reason why they’re suddenly part of and accepted by the Horde, and not much fanfare comes from it. I want San’layn to have their own identity, storylines, and presence in-game.
It’d be the same with Taunka. If they’re going to be a customization race, they need to at least have a in-game presence and also some sort of fanfare of them taking a bigger role as champions of the Horde. It’d be unfair to just slap them onto Tauren and not much comes from it.
Customization races deserve better than to have their parent race LARPing as them. It is something I’ve gone on about multiple times and even made a topic about it a long time ago. Unless I see changes with Wildhammer Dwarves and something to show that customization races would have better treatment long-term, I would generally advocate for playable full races instead.
On the bright side, there is plenty of room on that character creation screen for Taunka, so maybe we’ll be lucky and Blizzard will remember they’re full members of the Horde. They deserve a spot on that Horde Council, at least, but playable Taunka would be the best route to take!
I actually haven’t heard about Taunka being considered for the Horde playable race in Cataclysm. I could see that being interesting if it did come true.
With the theme of Cataclysm, I wonder if something would’ve happened to Northrend to cause the Taunka to leave it and reside in Orgrimmar. It also makes me wonder if Northrend would’ve changed some in-game as a result, maybe as part of a pre-patch expansion event.
Also makes me wonder if that one Taunka chained up in Durotar as a gladiator would still have been there or not. Maybe so, since he was an outcast, so it wouldn’t be like the Taunka would be too offended.
Still hope we see Taunka playable in some form in the future!
There was that claim from Blizzard that all races with two legs were considered for allied race status. It’s possible Taunka got at least some consideration.
I’d be really curious to see what races got serious consideration, may have been planned but got cut, or got enough consideration to become playable races for the future. I’m sure it would be really interesting.
I imagine the continent with the most undead tearing apart the land during Shadowlands would be Northrend. I imagine it is a fierce battle there between the denizens of the continent and the undead for survival. It could be a good way to lead into the Taunka coming back into the picture.
And while you’re at it, throw it Horde San’layn! It could be a good pair of playable Horde races to lead into a WotLK Classic announcement!
At the very least seeing their reasoning and criteria for it all would be neat!
Maybe let the players tell them which of their criteria are more important to them…
I doubt they will of course. They seem to want to keep such things in house.
Absolutely.
Taunka go to the Horde.
Frostborn fall back to their Alliance allies (and Muradin gets to lead again…)
Tuskarr join Alliance.
San’layn join Horde.
Wolvar… Horde? Oracles Alliance?
Those are the first AR’s of the expansion. The second patch focus’s on bringing in the Ogres, Wildhammer properly, Forest Trolls, furbolg, jinyu, hozen, kelfin and ankoan to their respective sides.
Last patch bit starts bringing in other races, saurok, sethrak, ethereals, arakkoa, saberon ect…
Can’t remember if I made racials or not and can’t find it in my notes so I’m just gonna do it now.
Taunka
Racial: Gore - use your bison horns to gore your enemy. Dazes the target does minor dmg and bleeds for 3 seconds.
Racial: Dark Shamanism - your element based abilities do 2% more damage. (regardless of class)
Racial: Hide Masters - get more leather when skinning.
Racial: thick fur - resistance to frost.
Classes: Warrior, hunter, rogue, shaman, priest, mage, monk, death knight.
Mount: Wooly Kodo
Can it throw them up in the air too?
Makes me think of this video they had in a visitor center at Yellowstone that was a visual aid to remind people about why you need to stay away from the bison…it’s very likely this same scene in this video too.
Looks like the next expansion will be announced on April 19th:
Not sure what all to expect, other than the big rumor of it being dragon related. I am hoping to see some of the playable race requests become a reality, though I’ll keep an open mind and expectations tempered. To be honest, I’ll be very happy to just get out of Shadowlands finally.
I do feel like Taunka could pop into the story at any point and time. Especially with all the undead likely rampaging over the world (of Warcraft!) after we’ve been in the Shadowlands. I assume Northrend would’ve been one of the hardest hit continents as a result, and I hope we’d get an update from our Taunka allies.
Regardless of what happens, I won’t forget the Taunka, and I’ll keep supporting them to be a playable Horde race!
I took a month off, and didn’t bother with the 6-month resub and I am bored. The new content is lame, but perhaps it’s because at some point in the story I know Mary Suevanas is going to clumsily forced into the narrative and flush any story down the toilet.
With a new AR I could at least take an interest in old content again.
On a related note: Sylvanas is killing this game more than any competing MMOs.
We shall see what happens. I am honestly not expecting any races stated outright, at least for the start of the next expansion.
But in my opinion, many of these races that are requested could be added at any time, as you stated- since many are already friendly or are within the factions and have been for years.
I have a hope… or a feeling… that if they are going to add new races next expansion, they’ll do it as part of the pre-order for at least an initial bit.
Kinda like at the end of Legion you could get some races.
Unfortunately this falls apart when I realize that would be the SLs races more than likely… but they could always have races unassociated with SLs… Plenty of people left back home.
Taunka
